Nostalgia is in the air, and there is nothing you can do to stop it.
If you have been on the Internet recently, you have likely seen a link from BuzzFeed, an online media site that is host to a number of pop culture lists and articles pertaining to culture and news.
BuzzFeed has been the online center for culture for a while now. The site’s content is easy to digest and usually tugs on the nostalgic heartstrings of its readers — to the dismay of others.
In addition to hating on BuzzFeed, many artists have taken to disparaging the Internet in general. This act is one of desperation to preserve the perpetually dying sanctity of the past.
Why? This obsession with an antiquated past has left some upset and with a sour taste in their mouths. This hipster-esque obsession with what has come and gone, to some, only serves to halt forward motion.
Recently, NPR published an article written by Linda Holmes on the subject. Holmes says, “(Nostalgia) is often just a dumb dance in which we pretend not to have learned what, in fact, we have learned. It is literally to pretend to be young and dumb.”
Is she right? Sure, but this cynical view is ignorant of the benefits and necessity for escapism.
The social conscience of our generation is undergoing a very familiar process: romanticization.
Romanticism of the past is the state of the social conscience that transcends any generation. It serves as an escape from the harsh realities of today and provides a point of reference to when things were not so bad.
Of course, things are always pretty bad and when the social conscience looks back, it chooses what to remember.
Take the most recent obsession with the ‘90s, for example.
The ‘90s were host to a number of great things. Grunge music wasn’t calculated. Sitcoms, such as “Boy Meets World,” actually had soul and substance to them, unlike the onslaught of garbage we are presented with today. George W. Bush hadn’t been elected yet, and passing notes was the primary method of communication during class.
These attributes of the ‘90s make it very attractive for the 20-something who sees the world changing in ways that are unfamiliar and frightening. It provides a sense of security.
This fear of change is normal among any generation, but the speed of change happening with our generation is unprecedented in history.
Most of us are either “Generation Y” or “Millennials.” Regardless of where you fall on this spectrum, the two cohorts have witnessed the most rapid expansion of technology in the history of civilization. With this incredibly fast-paced technological development, we have lost the wonderful simplicity of earlier times.
Members of older generations see this and are scared as well.
On Sept. 13, award-winning author Jonathan Franzen wrote an essay for The Guardian that aired grievances he has with the ever-connected world of the Internet. In addition, Franzen also sees the threat of digital media consuming sacred art forms.
Franzen’s worries predate many of our concerns, but the fear is still there: things are changing.
Although Franzen would disapprove of our seeking refuge at BuzzFeed and other media outlets for nostalgic relief, I am sure he can empathize with our longing for the past.
This nostalgia-obsessed culture that is being cultivated can be viewed as a bad thing, but it is a great thing. It offers people an oasis from the ironic environment developed by snobby music blogs, shoddy try-hard sitcoms and the general caustic nature of society.
Reach the columnist at zjenning@asu.edu or follow him on Twitter @humanzane
